The present invention relates to storage racks for billiard cues, and more particularly to an improved storage rack for displaying billiard cues of two-piece construction wherein the shaft section of the cue with the cue tip thereon is vertically suspended in an inverted position independent of the separately supported butt section to maintain straightness of the shaft section and prevent warping of the assembled cue.
In billiards, the straightness of the cue is vital to striking the cue ball properly and in the intended direction, with the least bit of bend or curvature in the cue raising the likelihood of a missed shot by sending the cue ball off of the intended line. For the recreational billiards player, a straight cue can improve shot-making skills and brings more enjoyment to the game. In the hands of an experienced player, especially one engaged in competition, a straight and linearly true cue is an essential instrument for successful performance.
There is a natural tendency for wooden cues to warp when not in use and left standing either unsupported or in storage racks. Although the wooden material of the cues may be treated to resist warping, the moisture normally found in the air, even in controlled interior environments, will cause the elongated shaft, particularly its slender, tapered portion to bow slightly with a curvature that renders the cue ineffective and in need of repair. In many cases, the warpage may be remedied and the bowed portion of the cue restraightened for effective use. In other cases, however, the warped cue cannot be completely straightened and is rendered essentially useless for competitive as well as recreational play. When the warpage affects the custom-made two-piece cues valued by serious players, the time and effort to restraighten the cue stick becomes painstaking and the cost of replacement becomes high.
While prior art devices have addressed the problem of warping cue sticks and provided various means for holding or suspending the single-piece cue from its tip in order to resist linear distortion, none have dealt with the similar warping problem that affects cues of two-piece construction when they are stored and not in use. Such two-piece cues, which generally have a slender, upper shaft section carrying the cue tip and a detachable lower butt section, are typically more expensive and highly-valued by players and, as a result, more costly and difficult to replace than one-piece cues. These two-piece cues, particularly their slender shaft sections, are as equally susceptible to warping and linear distortion as one-piece cues, and accordingly, there is a need for an improved means to store them in their separate sections without warping.